They tell me it is Spring but at the moment the fire is going, it is cold, blowing a gale, intermittent heavy rain and hail. With many areas still in lockdown it is hard to be positive especially with covid cases going up in numbers. I am sure all of us feel for Auckland residents and hope that they gain more freedom shortly. I am waiting to hear if the Waikato can go down to level 2 next week. That would mean I can visit my grandchildren, take my brother for a hospital appointment and celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary with friends. I am sure we are all affected in some way, but we all need to stay positive, keep busy and stay safe.
I am reminded frequently how great it is to have sewing as a hobby. It has certainly kept me occupied over the past months. While I was in MIQ I managed to complete a colour challenge for my club. With no sewing machine it challenged my skills and creativity. I also revisited cross stitch which I hadn’t done for many years and although the eye sight wasn’t as good as it used to be, it kept me engrossed for hours. I know that many of you will have similar tales to tell and lots of UFO’s will have been finished.
In the last few weeks I have tidied up my sewing room, refiled patterns, gone through photos trying to find the inspiration for ‘BROWN’. Hope you have all put your thinking caps on and will enter the latest colour challenge. Shortly we will be announcing the members challenge so watch out for the news flash and please think about entering!
We have the last of our lecture series coming up with Irene Blanck, known for her applique techniques, so I hope those of you who signed up enjoy it. As an applique person I am looking forward to learning some tips and tricks from her. If you haven’t registered there is still time to do so.

Valda Sutton, President, Aotearoa Quilters